THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GOGGLES TRAINING SYSTEM AS A COACHING TOOL IN CHANGING PELVIS ANGLE AT THE CATCH DURING ON WATER ROWING

The body positions and repetitive action of rowing may predispose a rower to low back injury. This project aimed to identify the immediate. and training, effects of visual feedback on lumbo-pelvic angle during one minute of on-water rowing. Visual feedback was provided through the Goggles Training System (GTS,TM) for eight NZ national rowers. Pre- and post-training testing consisted of four one minute rowing trials at 28 strokes per minute with: A) No goggles & no instruction; B) Goggles & no instruction; C) No goggles & instruction; and D) Goggles & instruction. Repeated measures ANOVA showed no significant differences for ensembled averages for lumbo-pelvic angle. The GTS,TM, significantly-,reduced lumbo-pelvic angle for some rowers. The results support further use of the GTS,TM as a tool for improving rowing technique and preventing low back injury

THE RELIABILITY AND VARIABILITY OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL TlBlAL ACCELERATION DURING RUNNING

Axial and resultant peak tibial acceleration might be useful for screening/monitoring runners at risk of lower limb injury. This study quantified between-session reliability and variability of axial and resultant peak tibial acceleration during running. Fourteen runners completed four running speeds at two testing sessions seven days apart with tri-axial wireless accelerometers attached to the tibia. Average mean differences between sessions across all four speeds (for the right or left side) were 4.5-5.7% (ES 0.01-0.17; ICC 0.73-0.95; CV% 7.5-1 7.9) for axial and 0.9-5.1 % (ES 0.01 -0.1 2; ICC 0.84-0.97; CV% 5.913.9)) for resultant peak tibial acceleration. While both axial and resultant peak tibial acceleration are reliable and therefore appropriate for monitoring and assessment of an intervention, resultant peak tibial acceleration should be preferentially used

Biological properties of adriamycin bound to biodegradable polymeric carriers

Three different conjugates having adriamycin (ADR) bound to the side chain carboxyl groups of high-molecular weight poly (¿--glutamic acid) (PGA) either directly or by interpolation of GlyGly and GlyGlyGlyLeu spacers, respectively, were compared with respect to immunogenicity and cytotoxicity in mice as well as release of drug by lysosomal enzymes. The cytotoxic efficacy of a single i.p. dose of each conjugate (5 mg ADR-equiv./kg) against L1210 leukemia cells implanted i.p. in DBA2 mice was studied by monitoring the survival time, the body weight and the number of long-term survivors (LTS). PGA-GlyGlyGlyLeu-ADR and PGA-GlyGly-ADR significantly enhanced the mean survival time (MST) of treated animals compared with the untreated control group (T/C 148¿149%) as did free ADR (T/C 147%). The tetrapeptide-spacer containing conjugate effected the presence of LTS at day 50 (2/5) as did free ADR (1/5).\ud \ud The secondary antibody response of the drug conjugates elicited in A/J mice after repeated dosage (125 ¿g/mouse) at day 0, 14 and 28 was evaluated at day 35 using the ELISA technique. IgG titers varied from a very low value (PGA-GlyGlyGlyLeu-ADR) to moderately high levels (PGA-ADR, PGA-GlyGly-ADR) which are 2¿3 orders of magnitude below that obtained for the strong immunogen bovine IgG. The data suggest that certain parts on the surface of the conjugates are immunogenic.\ud \ud The release of extractable low-molecular weight products from the conjugates mediated by lysosomal enzymes was analyzed using reversed-phase HPLC. The release profile of ADR as well as Gly-ADR, Leu-ADR or GlyLeu-ADR was determined. The total amount of ADR released after 77 h was 3.6% for PGA-GlyGlyGly-Leu-ADR, 1.0% for PGA-GlyGly-ADR and 0.5% for PGA-ADR. With all conjugates unidentified products were produced.\ud \ud It is proposed that the mechanism of action of the polymeric conjugates under in vivo conditions may be due to pinocytic capture followed by lysosomal degradation with release of ADR

Developing effective strategies to optimize physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in the long Covid population- The need for caution and objective assessment

he Post Covid-19 Condition (commonly known as Long Covid) has been defined by the World Health Organisation as occurring in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS CoV 2 infection, usually within 3 months from the onset of acute Covid-19 infection with symptoms that last for at least two months which cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. Long Covid is associated with over two hundred recognised symptoms and affects tens of millions of people worldwide. Widely reported reductions in quality of life(QoL) and functional status are caused by extremely sensitive and cyclical symptom profiles that are augmented following exposure to physical, emotional, orthostatic, and cognitive stimuli. This manifestation prevents millions of people from engaging in routine activities of daily living (ADLs) and has important health and well-being, social and economic impacts. Post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE) (also known as post-exertional malaise) is an exacerbation in the severity of fatigue and other symptoms following physical, emotional, orthostatic and cognitive tasks. Typically, this will occur 24–72 h after “over-exertion” and can persist for several days and even weeks. It is a hallmark symptom of Long Covid with a reported prevalence of 86%. The debilitating nature of PESE prevents patients from engaging in physical activity which impacts functional status and QoL. In this review, the authors present an update to the literature relating to PESE in Long Covid and make the case for evidence-based guidelines that support the design and implementation of safe rehabilitation approaches for people with Long Covid. This review also considers the role of objective monitoring to quantify a patient's response to external stimuli which can be used to support the safe management of Long Covid and inform decisions relating to engagement with any stimuli that could prompt an exacerbation of symptoms

Conditional ablation of macrophages disrupts ovarian vasculature

Macrophages are the most abundant immune cell within the ovary. Their dynamic distribution throughout the ovarian cycle and heterogenic array of functions suggest the involvement in various ovarian processes, but their functional role has yet to be fully established. The aim was to induce conditional macrophage ablation to elucidate the putative role of macrophages in maintaining the integrity of ovarian vasculature. Using the CD11b-diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) mouse, in which expression of human DTR is under the control of the macrophage-specific promoter sequence CD11b, ovarian macrophages were specifically ablated in adult females by injections of diphtheria toxin (DT). CD11b-DTR mice were given DT treatment or vehicle and ovaries collected at 2, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h. Histochemical stains were employed to characterise morphological changes, immunohistochemistry for F4/80 to identify macrophages and the endothelial cell marker CD31 used to quantify vascular changes. In normal ovaries, macrophages were detected in corpora lutea and in the theca layer of healthy and atretic follicles. As macrophage ablation progressed, increasing amounts of ovarian haemorrhage were observed affecting both luteal and thecal tissue associated with significant endothelial cell depletion, increased erythrocyte accumulation and increased follicular atresia by 16 h. These events were followed by necrosis and profound structural damage. Changes were limited to the ovary, as DT treatment does not disrupt the vasculature of other tissues likely reflecting the unique cyclical nature of the ovarian vasculature and heterogeneity between macrophages within different tissues. These results show that macrophages play a critical role in maintaining ovarian vascular integrity

Island extinctions: processes, patterns, and potential for ecosystem restoration

Extinctions have altered island ecosystems throughout the late Quaternary. Here, we review the main historic drivers of extinctions on islands, patterns in extinction chronologies between islands, and the potential for restoring ecosystems through reintroducing extirpated species. While some extinctions have been caused by climatic and environmental change, most have been caused by anthropogenic impacts. We propose a general model to describe patterns in these anthropogenic island extinctions. Hunting, habitat loss and the introduction of invasive predators accompanied prehistoric settlement and caused declines of endemic island species. Later settlement by European colonists brought further land development, a different suite of predators and new drivers, leading to more extinctions. Extinctions alter ecological networks, causing ripple effects for islands through the loss of ecosystem processes, functions and interactions between species. Reintroduction of extirpated species can help restore ecosystem function and processes, and can be guided by palaeoecology. However, reintroduction projects must also consider the cultural, social and economic needs of humans now inhabiting the islands and ensure resilience against future environmental and climate change

Cumulative impact assessment for ecosystem-based marine spatial planning

Claims for ocean space are growing while marine ecosystems suffer from centuries of insufficient care. Human pressures from runoff, atmospheric emissions, marine pollution, fishing, shipping, military operations and other activities wear on habitats and populations. Ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged worldwide as a strategic instrument for handling conflicting spatial claims among competing sectors and the environment. The twofold objective of both boosting the blue economy and protecting the environment is challenging in practice and marine planners need decision support. Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) was originally developed to provide an overview of the human imprint on the world\u27s ocean ecosystems. We have now added a scenario component to the CIA model and used it within Swedish ecosystem-based MSP. This has allowed us to project environmental impacts for different planning alternatives throughout the planning process, strengthening the integration of environmental considerations into strategic decision-making. Every MSP decision may entail a local shift of environmental impact, causing positive or negative consequences for ecosystem components. The results from Swedish MSP in the North Sea and Baltic Sea illustrate that MSP certainly has the potential to lower net cumulative environmental impact, both locally and across sea basins, as long as environmental values are rated high and prevailing pressures derive from activities that are part of MSP. By synthesizing innumerous data into comprehensible decision support that informs marine planners of the likely environmental consequences of different options, CIA enables ecosystem-based MSP in practice